Judi Lloyd: Pests, be gone  natural ways to make this happen

Summertime and bugs always go hand in hand, so here are some alternatives to harmful chemicals to keep your home bug-free. These solutions will also save you money.

Summertime and bugs always go hand in hand, so here are some alternatives to harmful chemicals to keep your home bug-free. These solutions will also save you money.

If you see ants in your house, wipe down counters and other surfaces with a mixture of vinegar and water. You may have to do this more than once so it will eliminate the scent trail that the ants need to find their way.

Flies hate the scent of basil. Put pots of basil by windows, doors and on your table. If you’re not growing basil, you could use dried basil in cheesecloth tied with string. Rub it to keep the scent strong.

Wasps are very territorial and won’t build a nest within 200 yards of another one. You can build or buy your own fake nest to confuse them. Hanging one in both your back yard and front yard is all it takes. It’s sort of like a scarecrow for wasps.

Kitties love catnip. Mosquitoes? Not so much. You can grow it in your yard or in pots. It keeps mosquitoes away more effectively than DEET, without the harmful chemicals.

Spiders hate the scent of citrus. You can deter spiders in your garden by spreading around lemon, orange or lime peels. If you find them in your house, you can get rid of them by mixing water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice in a spray bottle, and then wiping floors and counters with the mixture. Spray down doorways and windowsills to keep them out.

Have fleas invaded your home this summer? Alternately salting and vacuuming your carpets will kill flea eggs. But since fleas have a three-day reproduction cycle, this is not a one-shot deal. You will need to salt every day for nine days and vacuum every third day. (Good thing that salt is cheap.) Make sure you empty the vacuum bag each time you use it or they will just crawl right back out again and you won’t have gained anything for your time and efforts.

Use this simple approach to trap fruit flies. Fill a glass about three-quarters full with white vinegar or cider vinegar, then add eight drops of dishwashing liquid, and fill to the top with warm water. They will be attracted to this for some reason and end up drowning in the glass.

Cinnamon bark oil (found in health food stores or on-line) controls dust mites. In a spray bottle, add a few drops into a mixture of half water and half denatured alcohol (Lowe’s has it). Spray rugs, couches, bedding and anywhere that dust collects. An added benefit is that your house will smell like cookies.

I hope you’re having a fun bug-free summer.

Judi Lloyd lives in River Bend and can be contacted at judilloyd@yahoo.com.

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